Mother and Son
by jhuniemarieilarde
Summary: My own take on the finale of OUAT. Regina has to make a life changing decision in order to save everyone and to save the other version of her son. Now everyone has to find a way how to save her this time before it's too late. DISCLAIMER: I don't own OUAT
1. Chapter 1

The dark books had been created by the Wish Rumple but none of them will work unless he completely darkened himself. Rumple, Hook, Alice, and Robin are in the library looking at the dark books when the portals opened behind them. "Hold on!" Hook yelled as they all grabbed the table. Their books flipped open waiting for their new story to come true. Wish Rumple appeared along with Wish Henry. They both watched at their struggle to stay with delight. Then the guards brought Regina in the room so she can see what's happening. "Aunt Regina!" Robin called but she couldn't do anything. She has the bracelet on. She can't use any magic. "Don't do this, Henry. They did nothing wrong to you. If you want to punish someone, punish me", she said pleading to the other version of her son. "Your turn will come, Your Majesty", Wish Henry said.

It didn't take long until they all got sucked into the portals and their books closed. The other books opened except for Regina. Wish Henry is saving her for last. She saw then saw Henry's name written in one of the books. That is for her real son. Regina is secretly trying to break the bracelet by grinding it on the blade of the guard next to her. "We don't need to bring them here. The portals will do the work from where they are", Wish Rumple said to Wish Henry. "This is how you work now? You can't do the job yourself so you need to enlist the help of a young boy? I thought Dark One is better than that. Then again you're just a copy. You're still nothing like Rumplestiltskin", Regina said taunting him. "Why do we have to save her last?" he asked Wish Henry. "…because I want her to see how her loved ones be taken away from her", he answered. Then she saw the knife Henry used to cut her palm. That's how this is working. He is focusing on her blood and his hatred for her to darken himself and make the books work. "Listen to me, Henry. If you completed all of these, you will never go back. You will lose yourself forever to darkness just as I did", she said trying to convince him to change his mind but he didn't listen.

He started focusing on the blade and all the books flipped except hers. She grinds faster on the blade to free herself or rather free her magic. She concentrated until finally the bracelet cracked and she's able to remove it herself. She knocked out the guards beside her and then waved her hand and the knife on Wish Henry's hand flew away from him. "You think you can stop us, dearie? You may have your magic back but it's no match to mine", Wish Rumple said. "For a Dark One, you talk too much…in case you forgotten I was the one who freed you from your rotting cage because you are so powerful that the Wish Charmings were able to catch you and locked you up like an animal", she reminded him when she made a bargain with him to save Emma from the Wish Realm. "It's done, Your Majesty. Your family will be gone no matter what you do", Wish Henry said as he points out on the books for her family are still open. Regina knows that. "There's something else that I can do", she muttered.

Regina put her left hand on top of her dark book. "This is all my fault. It started with me. I casted a dark curse and sentenced everyone to live in a world far from their homes. Everything that follows that is on me. I ripped my evil half because I want to be free from her and in return she created this realm and all your burdens and suffering. If there's anyone who should be paying, it's me", Regina muttered as she stared at the prison only built for her. "No magic will work on it, Regina, especially your dark magic", Wish Rumple said. Regina smiled at him. "Who said that's the only magic I have?" she asked him and then raised her right hand and pointed it on Wish Henry. White light came out of her hand as the light magic hits him. "That is not possible! You shouldn't have that magic!" Wish Rumple exclaimed. That made her smile even more. "You're way behind, dearie. I've changed", she said.

Wish Henry looked at her wondering what's happening. "What are you doing to me?" he asked her. A tear fell from Regina's eyes. "What I did with my evil half…sharing light, sharing love, sharing goodness. You are good Henry. You just lost your way but you'll find your way back. I'm sure of it", she answered. Wish Rumple is about to panic then he thinks of something. "You can pour light magic on him all you want but it won't change the fact that your family will be gone in a matter of minutes", he said taunting her. "…not if I stop it", Regina muttered and then closed her eyes. Black lights started coming out of all the books and then entered Regina's. The dark magic is now climbing her left hand and entering her body. Wish Henry looked at what's happening. "You're absorbing the dark magic", he muttered. Regina looked at him with a smile. "It's alright. It's better this way than to let it consume your heart. I'll be alright", she said and then she groaned when it started to get painful.

The other books already turned white but she's still working on her family's. The dark magic is making a home inside of her but she cannot stop, not when she's so close to saving everyone. Finally, all the books turned white. She let go both hands and then fell on the floor. She used a lot of magic and her strength. "You darkened yourself once more to save a copy of your son?" Wish Rumple asked Regina. She remains on the floor with her hair covering her face. "I don't care. He is my son no matter which realm he's in or versions. I love him. I love all versions of him and that's something you will never know because you're nothing. You have no soul, no heart. You're just nothing", she answered. He knows there's nothing for him there so he just vanished to plan his next move.

Wish Henry walks towards her. "Stop!" Regina said and he halted. She slowly got back up and then looked at him. He stepped back in fear. She is still Regina though her eyes are now red as blood. Her skin is extremely pale and her veins are so visible under her skin that it shows on her neck. "You shouldn't have done that", Wish Henry muttered. She smiled at him. "I wanted to. I'll do anything for you. But now I have to go in order for all of you to be safe. Will you say my goodbye to them for me?" she asked and he nodded. She waved her hand and a portal opened. "No matter what, Henry. I am so proud of you", she said and then went inside the portal then it closed. Other portals opened and they all returned from their prisons. "Look! The books are white", Alice exclaimed as soon as she saw them. Wish Henry just looked at them. They all looked around. "It has to be Aunt Regina", Robin said excitedly. Something caught Rumple's eyes. "Oh it is definitely her", he said and then pointed at Regina's book. They all looked at it. "Why the hell everyone's books are white and hers still black?" Hook asked. Wish Henry stepped forward. "…because she took it all. She took all the darkness to save all of you. She sacrificed herself for all of us", he answered.


	2. Chapter 2

The heroes gathered for a meeting to break the news to others about what Regina did. Wish Henry joins them this time. Wish Rumple is nowhere to be found and so is Regina. Her dark book is in the middle of the table. "I have a theory that wherever she is, it's in this book. We have to find her", David said. Rumple flipped the pages of the book. "I don't recognize this realm", he muttered. Zelena looked too. "Me neither", she added. They all took turn in looking at it but none of them knew where that place is. "You do know that place. You are the Dark One. It's just that you forgot it because the other you stripped you of your powers but he didn't. No one can strip you of your powers. It's just suppressed within you", Wish Henry said to Rumple. No one protests about what he said. He spent a lot of time with Wish Rumple to know his secrets. "Don't worry. I'll help you dig in your brain", Zelena said since they're the only ones with magic in the group. Alice is no longer the Guardian.

Snow distributed their assignments and the group dispersed. Wish Henry didn't move on his seat. "Come on, we have to save Mom", Henry said to him. He looked at him like he's a little lost. "You're confused, aren't you?" he asked him and he nodded. "I did all these. But instead of hating me or burning me at the stake, you all accepted me here in your circle. I don't understand why", he answered. Henry smiled at him. "…because we're family. You know when my mom removed her evil half, she did a lot of terrible things too, played with our lives, even tried to trick me into killing my mothers. In the end, Mom realized the truth, that she is a part of her which means she is family. We love each other and we give each other as many chances as we can. It's the same with you. We are different yet we are the same. We are both", Henry said.

Zelena and Rumple went to his castle to check for spell books that can help them. "We're not going to find anything here", Rumple said to her. "Just shut up and let me do the work, okay. In case you forgot, I was the better student than my sister. I can do this", she said. Then she found the book she's looking for. She waved her hand and the ingredients for the potion she is about to make appeared on the table. "Where did you get these?" he asked. Zelena opened the book. "…from my sister's castle, or at least the Wish Realm version of her. It's abandoned", she answered and then started chanting and mixing potion on the table. Rumple waited patiently while she's working. Once she's done, she gave him the bottle. "It's going to be a little bit painful but it won't last long", she said. He looked at her. "What are we hoping to happen here exactly?" he asked. "The other Henry said that you still have your power inside you. It's just suppressed. You need to find a trigger in your memory that will revived your magic so we can save Regina", she answered. Rumple nodded and drank the potion.

He groaned. She's right about the pain. He fell on the floor struggling to control the pain and then it stopped. He is now lying still with his eyes closed like he's sleeping. Zelena sat down and waited for him to come to. It only took a few minutes before Rumple woke up gasping for air. "So?" she asked. Rumple waved his hand and the chair in front of him moved. "It worked. I got my magic back", he answered. She sighed and then smiled. "Good. Now, the realm…where is it?" she asked again. He closed his eyes and dig into the memories of the previous Dark Ones. He opened his eyes. "I know where it is", he said. Zelena waited for the answer she needed. "She's in the Pit", he answered. Zelena's eyes widened when she heard it. "What? She is in the Pit? Why the hell would she even thing about going to that place?" she asked. "I have no idea but we need to move fast now if we still hope in saving her", he answered.

The others are still in Snow and David's castle burning the books Wish Rumple made just to make sure they won't all go dark again. All that remains now is Regina's. Rumple and Zelena returned. "You're back…did you find anything?" Snow asked as soon as they walked in the room. "We did but it's not good", she answered. Everyone's waiting in anticipation. "She's in the Pit", Rumple said. Everyone frowned. "I'm sorry but what is Pit?" Alice asked. She and Robin are still new to the magic department and so is Ella. "The Pit is the darkest corner of all the realms. Some say it is just a myth. No one has ever been there. I only heard stories. No life exists in that realm only darkness", Zelena answered. Rumple went through the book again. "Why would Regina be in there if it's a horrible place?" Hook asked. Rumple continued reading the book. "Before she left, something's changed in her. She looked different. Her eyes were red and her skin was pale. She stopped me from going to her and she said she needed to go so we can all be safe", Wish Henry recalled.

They all went quiet. "It's the darkness that she absorbed. It was too much and it's taking over her. That's why she wanted to leave", Henry muttered. Ella held his hand for comfort. "That's just not it. She didn't just absorb dark magic. She also let go of her light magic and gave it to Henry. She has no light anymore inside. It's just pure darkness. Actually she's more like the Dark One without a vessel, without conscience, without heart and soul", Zelena added. That got everyone scared. "You mean like the Evil Queen when she ripped her out of her?" Snow asked. Zelena shook her head. "The Evil Queen still loves Henry even without Regina. She loved Robin. She even visited his grave", she answered. David sighed. "So Regina is now worse than her evil half…we need a plan", he said.

Robin looked at Rumple who remains quiet the whole time. "What do you think?" she asked him and all looked at him. "I know now why she went there", he muttered. Zelena walked towards him. "Why?" she asked and he turned the book to her. It showed a drawing of a mountain. "Recognize that place?" he asked and she nodded. "It's the Mountain of Doom", she muttered. "What's the Mountain of Doom?" Henry asked. "It's like a ceremonial place of all the dark gods long ago. It's where they make their sacrifices. It was rumored to have a strong dark force among its rocks that is uncontainable. No one can take it. Only the mountain can hold the power", Rumple answered. Hook frowned. "Regina wants to see the mountain? Why?" he asked. Rumple looked at him. "Only light can snuff out light and in saying so, only darkness can snuff out darkness. Right now, Regina is a walking darkness", he explained. Zelena stared at the book. "She is planning on destroying the darkness in her and herself along with it", she muttered.


	3. Chapter 3

In the Pit, Regina is leaning against a big rock in the middle of a desert like scenery. She looks extremely exhausted. She's been fighting off the darkness in her since she got it. She needs to stay herself so she can do what she came there to do. She then looked at the mountain to her right. It's looking pretty far which means she needs to walk more. She cannot use any magic because the more she used magic the faster the darkness in consuming her. She groaned a little due to the pain she's enduring. She got back on her feet and resumed walking. She headed towards the direction of the mountain. The wind is blowing a bit hard which made it even harder for her to walk the wilderness. _Use your magic. Make it easier. I know you want to do it_. She heard the whispers but there's no one out there.

She continued walking and the whispers won't stop. It kept saying the same thing. It's the darkness. It's tempting her to use her magic so it will grow stronger in her. _Regina!_ The whisper turned into a scream and she fell on her knees. She saw flashbacks when she closed her eyes. She saw Daniel's death, her mother's, Robin's…even the night she killed her own father. "Stop it!" she yelled as she covered her ears. It's now an emotional torture. The wind stopped blowing. She looked around and it's very still. She got back up and resumed walking once again. Her knees are getting weaker but she knows she cannot give up now. The darkness in her is too much for her to carry. Therefore she won't last long unless she succeeds in her plan to destroy it. She focused on making her step towards the mountain. _Are you ready to be weak? You give up the power, you will be helpless once again. Remember what happened to Daniel. If only you have magic back then, you might have been able to save him from your mother?_ She shook her head to shake the voices. "This is not going to make me weak. I am not afraid to lose my magic if it means I get to save my family", she said.

 _Regina!_ The scream grew louder this time and the wind pushed her down again. The flashbacks came again and lasted longer. Tears fell from her eyes but she composed herself and then stood back up. She wiped away her tears and walked again. That cycle happened multiple times along the way but she keeps on getting back up. "You can do this. You can do this", she said to herself. _Oh no, you can't. You love magic. You love power. From the first time you tasted it, you never let it go. There's no way you're giving it up now_. The voice keeps taunting her. "Watch me", she challenged. The wind blew again but it didn't knock her down this time. She continued walking until she reached the mountain. She looked up and it's going to be a long climb. She put her hand on its rocks to rest. She felt the strong magic in the place. "Exactly what I need", she muttered.

Regina started climbing the Mountain of Doom. She cannot poof herself because the mountain will not allow it. There's no easy way to do it. The whispers and voices stopped. Her mind is now at peace except her body. She's getting weaker and weaker while the darkness is getting stronger and stronger like it's feeding off of her suffering. She sat for a minute to rest and breathe. She then lied down her back on the ground. The sky has no stars or clouds. It's just empty and hollow. There are no birds flying across. In fact, she hasn't seen any animals around. No one is alive around. She can feel the warmth of the mountain through her back. She took out a picture from her pocket. It's a picture of her and Henry back in Storybrooke. She always carries it around wherever she goes. She stared at it as tears fell from her eyes. She knows she might never see her son again. She didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to him or hug him one last time. Then she realized it's all for his benefit. She's doing it all for him.

She put the picture back into her pocket and resumed climbing. The thought of Henry gave her strength to continue what she's doing. She climbed and climbed until she finally reached the top of the mountain. It's very wide and has a circle drawn on its ground. There are four pillars beside on a small altar of sorts. Two on each sides. She walked towards the altar made out of hard rock. There's no book on top of it, just symbols carved on it which she can understand. It only makes sense. She's been studying magic for a very long time. She ran her fingers on the symbols and then looked at the pillars. They have symbols on them too. She turned to the circle with a star in the middle of it. Everything is set.

 _There has to be another way. Think of your son. He still needs you. If you do this, your son will be lost. Find another way_. The voice returned. She ignored it and then walked towards the circle. _Regina!_ The voice yelled each step she took towards the circle. She ignored it and just kept on going. She gets into the circle and it lit up. That surprised her because she hasn't done anything yet. She just stood there. Maybe the circle recognized the great darkness she's carrying. She cut her palm and let a few drops of her blood on the ground. The circle turned red like fire. The wind is now blowing harshly on the top of the mountain. _It's not too late to stop all this. You can still go back to your family. They are waiting for you. Don't do this. You can't do this_. "I am doing this for them. It's the only way", she said.

All of a sudden a portal opened below the mountain. It's the cavalry ready to rescue Regina or rather stop her from killing herself. They climbed the mountain quickly like they're trying to race against each other. They looked at the top. "It's Regina. She must've been starting already", Rumple said. That made most of them panicked. "Bloody hell! Why can't we use a bloody magic?" Zelena exclaimed in her frustrations. Henry is climbing the fastest in all of them. In less than fifteen minutes, he's almost at the top. Then he finally reached the top of the mountain and saw his mother inside the circle chanting. The others are able to catch up and saw what's happening. "Mom!" Henry called and it snapped Regina out of chanting. She looked surprised to see all of them there. "What are you doing here? You can't be in here", she asked. "You think we're going to let you just kill yourself?" Zelena asked her back. Regina sighed. "You're going to have to. If you don't, well, there's nothing you really can do about it. It's done", Regina answered and then opened her arms. Dark clouds formed around the mountain top and it circled it fast. Regina's eyes went even redder. She looked at her son and then smiled. "I love you, Henry…so much. Don't ever forget that", she said and then a blinding light burst everywhere. Once it's gone, Regina is nowhere to be found. "Mom? Mom?!" Henry asked. "Where is my mother?!" he asked again.


	4. Chapter 4

They have searched every corner of the mountain but still there's no sign of Regina anywhere. Meanwhile, Rumple is standing by the altar reading the spell Regina used. "Zelena, come here", he said and she obliged. She looked at it too and read it. "Is this the one she's chanting?" she asked and he nodded. Henry saw the look on their faces. "What? What is it? What does it mean?" he asked one question after another. They both turned to him. "This is a powerful sacrificial spell used by the ancient gods. Your mother didn't snuff out the darkness in her with darkness. She poured it all out in this mountain", Rumple answered. Henry looked around the mountain. They are standing basically in the pit of darkness. "She knows no one can take it from this place. No one can wield it. Everyone will be safe", Henry realized. "Yeah, well the real question now is where the hell is she?" Zelena asked.

Regina opened her eyes and saw nothing but darkness. There's no light. She got up and fire started to light up from the walls of what appears to be a cave. She's in cave. She checked herself and she got no bruises or wounds. She's perfectly fine. Ahead of her, she can see a tiny light beaming. It might be the way out of the cave, she thought. She got up and ran towards it. It is the way out and it leads to a forest. The place looks so familiar but she can't remember it. She ran her fingers through the woods. She continued walking and walking until she bumped into a man. "I am so sorry. I wasn't looking", she apologized. The man looked at her and smiled. "No worries, madam. I should be the one apologizing. Are you lost? I barely see a woman wandering alone in this part of the forest", he asked. She seemed confused as she searched for something to answer him. "I think I am. Where am I exactly?" she answered then asked. "Oh, you're in the Enchanted Forest. I am Eleazar and you are?" he answered then introduced himself. Regina took time to answer which bothered him. Then she finally found the words. "I don't know. I don't know my name", she answered.

The heroes went back to the Charming's castle in Wish Realm where Snow and David are waiting. "What happened? Where's Regina?" Snow asked when she saw them empty handed. "No…don't tell me she did it", David muttered when he saw the look on their faces. "She did a different spell. She transferred the darkness into the mountain instead of destroying it", Hook answered. Snow and David sighed. "Well that's brilliant, isn't it? No one can take that power from that mountain and she doesn't have to destroy herself", Snow said excitedly but none of them are excited. "Where is the queen?" Wish Henry asked. Henry looked at him. "We don't know", he answered simply. They all sat down and they narrated what went down in the Pit.

Wish Blue is present just in case she has knowledge of the spell Regina used. "I don't mean to bring the spirits down but maybe we might consider the possibilities that the queen is…" Wish Blue said but wasn't able to finish. "…dead? No. She is not. My mother is still alive and I can feel it. She's out there somewhere and in need of our help. She can be weak or hurt from what happened. You're here to help us not assume she's dead", Henry said angrily. Ella held his hand. "I'm only trying to lay down the possibilities, Henry. I came here to help her", Wish Blue said. Henry scoffed. "Yeah then why don't I believe you? You never liked her even before she became the Evil Queen. You tried to stop Tinkerbell from helping her because you said her fate was sealed because her mother was the Queen of Hearts and her teacher was the Dark One. You refused to help save her soul. Why this time is any different?" Henry said and then walked out.

Henry went to the balcony where his mother used to go to clear her mind. Wish Henry followed him. "Are you okay?" he asked him and he shook his head. "None of them truly understands her. They see her as either a hero or a villain, a queen or the mayor. Some even see her as a bartender but to me she's simply my mother. My mother is out there and I don't know how to find her", he answered. Wish Henry looked at him carefully. "You have doubts", he muttered. Henry didn't want to acknowledge that but he saw it in his eyes. "I do. I know there's a chance that she didn't survive. I just want to believe that she did", he said. Wish Henry smiled and nodded. "I don't have doubts", he said. Henry looked at him and frowned. "You don't?" he asked and he nodded. "Yeah…what was the last thing she said to you?" he asked. Henry thinks for a moment. "She said that she loves me and that I should never forget that", he answered. "You see? They said she had turned into pure darkness because she gave all her light to me but she still got love in her heart. She still loves you", Wish Henry said. His words are getting into his brains like a wild river. "…just like when we're in Storybrooke. She was the Evil Queen then but she was able to love me despite of being filled with vengeance in her heart. You are brilliant! Thank you!" Henry exclaimed and then left his other version at the balcony smiling.

He ran towards the meeting room where everyone is. They all looked at him surprised by the change in his mood. "I know she's alive now like a hundred percent alive", he said. Snow frowned. "How?" she asked. Henry catches his breath for a second. "Love. She turned herself completely dark but she's able to hold it off until she reached the Mountain of Doom because she didn't want to hurt any of us because she loves us. She said she loves me before she disappeared. I know you think she's gone because of the sacrificial spell but I don't think she is now. She still got a bit of light left in her because of love", he answered. That gave an idea in Rumple's head. "You may have a point. The spell will make the mountain suck all the darkness in the circle. If Regina was pure darkness, she will get sucked by the mountain too but if she still got a bit of light in her…she may have survived", he muttered. That brought hope to everyone in the table. "All we need to do now is find her", Ella muttered. That leads to the biggest question. "So how exactly are we going to find her now?" Alice asked. Rumple and Henry looked at each other. "That's easy, Alice. We leave it to my grandpa. He and Mom can always track each other down", he said and then smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

Eleazar took Regina with him in his little house in the village. She looked around and she recognized nothing. He watched her wander with fascination. It's not often that he meets a woman with no memory of her own life. "How long have you live here?" she asked while looking at the pictures. "All my life", he answered. She looked at him. "You never left? Never even desired to see what's out there?" she asked again. He simply shook his head. She resumed wandering in his house. "For someone who doesn't know anything, you seem to know a lot more than you think", he said to her. She stopped for a second and then continued doing what she's doing. "If you don't want me here, I can leave", she said. He frowned. "Where did you get that idea?" he asked. "I can read between lines", she answered. He sighed. "I am just curious. I will never let a beautiful woman with no memory of her life go out there on her own", he said. That took her by surprise, not the kind words, only the word beautiful. "I'll let you rest", he said and then left.

Days passed by and Regina felt at home in his little house. The two lived harmoniously without any sexual relations happening. They're like brothers and sisters. "You know we've been living together for days now but I still don't know what to call you", he said while they're gardening together. "I don't really know how to answer that. I don't remember anything about myself in case you've forgotten", she said with a smile and he laughed. "Right? Well, how do you like to be called then?" he asked allowing her to choose her name. She thought about it for a few minutes. "You know what, Coraline sounds good to me", she answered. Eleazar smiled at her. "Then Coraline it is. Nice to meet you, Coraline", he said and then shook her muddy hand with his muddy hand and they both laughed.

Meanwhile in the castle, the heroes are busy in the meeting room. Robin and Alice came in running carrying a sack. "We got it!" Alice yelled. They both catch their breath. "We got the last ingredient for the potion", Robin added. Zelena smiled and took the sack from them. "Good work girls", she said and then took the sack to Rumple who is mixing potions. Hook and David brought a giant map and put it on the roundtable. "There you go", Zelena said to him and he opened it up. It's full of magical soil found in the middle of the woods. He put some in the potion and it lit up. "It's done. Now we can test it", Rumple said. He poured some into a vial and then went to the table. Everyone followed him. "One more thing…I need a blood from her family", he said. Zelena opened her palm and a cut appeared on it. She put some drops in the vial. Then Rumple chants on the vial and on the map that doesn't look so ordinary. He poured the potion over it and the map lit up like there are bulbs around it.

"Can I ask what map this is?" Alice asked.

"That my dear is the map of all the realms. We worked all night to stitch it all up", her father answered. Rumple stared at the map and frowned.

"What? What is the matter?" Zelena asked when he saw his face.

"This can't be right. She's not in the Pit or any other realms near it", he answered.

"What do you mean?" Snow asked.

"Where is she?" Henry asked too.

"She is here. She is in this realm…the Wish Realm", Rumple answered.

They moved quickly and left the castle to get Regina. The villagers looked shocked to see Snow and David because everyone knows they died. They bowed as soon as they got off their horses. "Where is the house?" Henry asked. Rumple pointed at the small house by the end. They all went there but before they can even knock, the door went open. Eleazar came out and was surprised to see the entire cavalry outside his house. "Where is she? Where is Regina?" Zelena asked. He frowned then saw Snow and David. He got on his knees quickly. "Your Majesty, I am at your service", he said. Zelena rolled her eyes. "Answer the question. Where is Regina?" Snow asked. He looked at them. "So that is her name…she picked Coraline", he muttered. That got them confused. "What do you mean she picked a new name?" David asked. Eleazar sighed. "I found her in the woods looking lost. I asked her what's her name and she said she didn't know. She doesn't remember anything from her life so she picked the name Coraline so I can have something to call her", he answered. Henry stepped forward. "Where is she now?" he asked more like demanded. Eleazar got up. "A man showed up here earlier telling her that he knows her and that he can show her who she is. She came with him", he answered. That got them all confused. Then Eleazar saw Rumple at the back. "Actually, he looked so much like you only he got a different kind of skin", he added.

Inside Rumple's castle, Regina is walking with Wish Rumple. The whole place changed its appearance. It's cleaner. "You got a nice palace. It's a bit sad you're all alone in such a huge place", she said. He nodded. "You're right. Well, a special someone was taken from me but it's another story. We are here for yours", he said. Regina looked at him and then smiled. "You said you're going to show me my life", she said and he nodded again. "Yes but I want to ask you a question. Do you really want to know? You looked like you have started a pretty good and happy one with Eleazar. Your real life might have been a bit depressing", he asked. She frowned and then smiled. "I am sure. I can't go on not knowing anything. It's like there's a hole inside me and I can't fill it no matter what I do", she answered. Wish Rumple clapped in delight.

He waved his hand. Regina turned around and saw a big mirror standing there. "You should prepare yourself for what you're about to see. It is not pleasant and I am sure you will not like it. You have lived a tragic life, dearie. This might turn you a bit…dark", Wish Rumple said in her ears. She listened carefully. "I cannot believe that we are back from where we started. It's like we're back to zero but hey, I don't mind. It gives me a second chance to help you out", he said. She looked at him and frowned. "What do you mean? What is our relationship exactly?" she asked. A smiled appeared on his face. "I am your teacher of course!" he answered and then laughed.


	6. Chapter 6

Regina stared at the mirror per Wish Rumple's instruction. He then waved his hand and a memory appeared in the mirror of Regina in her family house back in the Enchanted Forest. She is seen riding horses. "That is who you are. Your name is Regina Mills, daughter of Cora and Prince Henry. Now you know why you chose the name Coraline", he said. She stared in amazement like she's seeing all of it for the first time. "I am a daughter of a prince", she muttered. He rolled his eyes. "Still doesn't jog your memory, eh? Figure not…well then", he muttered and then waved his hand again and now Regina is in the stable with Daniel. She looked closely. "Now this is a horrible one but sometimes pain is necessary to remember things", he said. They watched the memory of Regina with Cora killing Daniel. The pain struck her like it's all happening at the moment. "Focus on that feeling, Regina and you will remember everything", he whispered in her ears.

The heroes are back in their castle thinking of a plan on how to fix their new dilemma. "We shouldn't be here. We should be storming his castle and saving my mother. The more we wait here the more she's in danger", Henry exclaimed in his frustrations. "We understand how you feel. Trust me, we want to save Regina as much as you do but we can't just march there without any plan or we will risk everyone's life", Snow explained to her grandson. He understands it. "So what does he want with her? She is not a threat to him now", Zelena asked. Rumple sat on the chair and thinks. "It could be a number of things but one thing I learned from that version of me is that he's full of hatred. She just stopped his grand plan to separate all of us. He could want revenge on her", he suggested. David took out his sword. "Then what are we waiting for? We need to go and save our queen", he said and Henry smiled at him.

They stormed off Wish Rumple's castle. They were surprised to see how much it changed. The last time they've been there, the place was full with dead bodies and other villains trapped like Wish Peter Pan and Wish Cruella. Now they're not there anymore. Then Wish Rumple suddenly appeared. "It's a nice picture, the entire family all together to save their former enemy", he greeted. Henry pointed his sword at him. "Where is my mom?" he asked. Wish Rumple smiled at him. "Last time I checked, she went to the Pit to sacrifice herself. Did you try checking there?" he answered and asked him back. That pissed him more. "We know she's here. You took her", Wish Henry intervened. His face turned serious when he saw him on their side. "No, I didn't take her. She came with me willingly. You want to see her? Very well then", he said. Everyone held their breath. "Regina! There are people looking for you", he called.

Regina poofed in front of us dressed in a long black dress. Henry smiled and tried to run towards her but he's stopped by an invisible wall. "That's close enough", Wish Rumple said. Henry looked at Regina who's staring at him blankly. "Mom…Mom, it's me. I'm your son", he said. "I don't have a son", Regina replied coldly. That shocked everyone. They know she lost her memory but they haven't seen it themselves until now. "Listen to me, I know you don't remember me but you need to get away from him. He is the bad guy", Henry tried to persuade her but it's like she is not hearing him. "Regina, we are here to save you. We're your family", Snow said. Regina looked at her. Her face turned hard. Her eyes turned fierce. "Family? Family don't betray each other", she muttered. Snow frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked her. "Each time I trusted you, someone I love ended up dying. Why should I trust you now? I trusted you with my secret and Daniel died. I trusted you to tell me what my mother truly needed and you tricked me into killing her", Regina exclaimed.

Snow couldn't find words to answer to that. Zelena leaned to Rumple. "Why does she remember that but not remember who we are?" she asked him. Rumple analyzed the situation. He should know what his copy is doing because he is him though he's a bit darker because in that realm, Belle did die. "Restart…" he muttered. They turned to him. "It's all a restart. All this started with me corrupting Regina when she's younger. She didn't know dark magic and I manipulated her, drowned her in the feelings of pain and betrayal so she would seek revenge. It's all happening again. Regina doesn't have a memory of her past. She doesn't have a strand of darkness in her because she already removed it from her. She's back to where she started, pure and innocent", he explained. They looked at Wish Rumple with her. "He is corrupting her? How?" Hook asked. "Her memories, he's using her darkest moments in life to corrupt her and god does she have a lot of those", David answered. She does indeed and by the looks of her, it seems like Wish Rumple has shown her a lot.

Henry tried to break the invisible wall between them but he keeps on failing. Regina took a step but Wish Rumple stopped her. "Patience…what did I tell you earlier?" he asked. She looked pissed off. "I did that long time ago and here I am still defeated", she answered. She's talking about the time she spent seeking revenge on Snow White. "Yes but you sided with wrong Dark One at that time. Worry not. I am here to genuinely help you give the pain they gave you. Let me give you a gift", he said then waved his hand. A portal opened inside the room and a woman came out of it. She is wrapped in a robe. They all waited for her to get up. Wish Rumple removed the chains around her wrists and legs. The woman got up. It's Ruby. Snow panicked right away to see her best friend with Wish Rumple and Regina. "No! Not her! Please!" she exclaimed.

Ruby is confused about what's happening and so is Regina. "What is the deal with her?" she asked. That confused Ruby more to see that Regina doesn't recognize her at all. "She is Snow White's best friend. She helped her evade you for a long time because she can turn into a wolf. In fact, she killed a lot of your guards. She helped prevented your revenge from happening", Wish Rumple answered. That made Regina's blood boil. Ruby saw that too. "Regina, what are you doing? We are all over this, remember? You're our mayor in Storybrooke. We all made peace", she said to her trying to job her memory but it's not working. Wish Rumple walked behind Regina while looking at the people on the other side. He then leaned over her ear. "Rip her heart out and crushed it", he whispered. "No! Mom, no please!" Henry pleaded but Regina is too blinded by her rage that she is not listening to anyone anymore. She stepped in front of Ruby and without a word she ripped her heart out and then stared at it. "Regina…please", Ruby said while crying. Regina looked at her. "You should've thought a million times before you decided to go against me", she said and then crushed her heart.


	7. Chapter 7

The world came crumbling down for our heroes. They just watched one of their friends died in cold blood right in front of them. Snow attempted to run but David got a hold of her and stopped her as she screamed 'no'. Things are like in slow motion in Henry's eyes as he looks around. The eyes of shock of his entire family and the eyes of anger and revenge of his mother is the only thing he can see. "He did it. He succeeded in twisting her", Rumple muttered like everything is a déjà vu for him. "What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Hook asked him. He looked back at him. "Regina just crushed the heart of an innocent, Captain. In the law of the universe, that is a crime. She darkened herself once again just like when she started to become the Evil Queen", he answered. That woke up everyone. It's what Wish Rumple wants all along and now he got it.

Regina stared at Ruby's lifeless body. She frowned at the mixed emotions she's feeling. Yes, she's angry but at the same time, she's feeling a bit of sadness and she can't understand why. Zelena just stared at her sister. "Well done! Well done! Now you know what it feels like to cause pain on the person who caused all of your suffering. Would you like me to show you how to inflict more pain? More suffering?" Wish Rumple asked the now drowning revenge Regina. Henry is shaking his head to her telling her to say no. "Teach me everything", she answered. "Mom please…you don't want to go through this again. Trust me. He is taking advantage of your situation. You already survived all of these", Henry still tried to convince her but it is hard to pull her now that she tasted darkness once again. "I think we're done here", Wish Rumple interrupted when he saw that somehow he's getting through her. "No, wait!" Henry said but he already took her elsewhere.

They are now back in their castle feeling defeated and broken hearted because of Ruby's untimely demise. Snow is still crying on her chair while her husband is comforting her. "I still can't believe it. I heard all the stories about Aunt Regina but I never imagine in my life that I would live to see it happen again", Robin muttered. Alice is by her side. "Well, I met her other version here and I know how terrifying it will be if she became like that again", Hook said. David scoffed. "I bet your Evil Queen here has nothing on her. The Wish Realm Evil Queen got defeated and became powerless and as you can see Regina didn't", he said. Zelena is staring into blank space. "Mom, are you alright?" her daughter asked her. "No…Regina is not going to be like that again just yet", she answered and she got everyone's attention. "What are you talking about?" Snow asked. She looked at them. "Didn't you see her after Ruby died? She was looking at her like she's feeling sad about killing her like a part of her was sad despite not remembering who she was", she answered.

That gave everyone a tiny strand of hope. "Yeah, I saw that too. It's like somewhere in the corner of her mind, she remembers her but then she couldn't reach it. I've felt that way back when we're still cursed in Hyperion Heights, like I can remember but then I can't", Alice said. Rumple listened carefully. Then Henry remembered something. "I think you're right. Before they disappeared, she's looking at me like she's understanding what I was saying but then he saw that too and he hurried to take her away", he said. Wish Henry gasped. "…it's because he doesn't want her to actually remember everything. He only wants her to remember the darkest parts of her life", he added. Everyone's adrenaline is rising. They can now see a chance to save her. "All we need to do now is find her trigger. Everyone has a trigger to remember everything find that and we will get her back", Rumple said. "Now, the first question is, where the hell did he take her?" Zelena asked.

Wish Rumple and Regina are inside a giant room hidden from anyone surrounded by spell books. Regina threw one of the books against the wall. "I don't get why we are wasting time reading here. You said you'll teach me how to get my revenge not became a bookworm", she exclaimed in her frustrations then stopped after she said that. She frowned at the déjà vu she's experiencing. "We are here not turn you into a bookworm. We are here to explore a certain spell. A spell that will get your revenge and mine", he said. That confused her but she chose not to protest. Wish Rumple opened an old book and smiled. "Now…come with me. We got some work to do, dearie", he said.

He briefed Regina on their goal with the spell he's pertaining to. He showed him the list of ingredients they need and they spent the whole day gathering it. When the night came, he took her to a small village. "What are we doing here?" she asked curiously. He smiled and then looked at her. "We're here for our one last ingredient", he answered. She frowned. "The heart of the thing you love most", he added. That confused her but then he pointed at the man buying in some fruits. She looked at him and recognized who it is. It's Eleazar. "No. I will not do it. You want me to kill him?" she panicked. "You want your revenge remember? You want to make them all pay? Well dearie, revenge is never going to be easy. The mistake you did back then was you took too long to cast your curse and in the end they broke it. I am here to help you but if you change your mind and you don't want to make Snow White pay, we can go home now", he explained. Regina is now torn. Voices are battling inside her head whether to do it or not. Eleazar went home carrying a basket of fruits. He halted when he saw Regina in his living room. "Coraline, you scared me. I didn't think you will come back here. How's the work on bringing back your memory going?" he asked her but she's not answering. "Are you okay?" he asked again. "No, I'm not", she answered and then knocked him out.

Back in Wish Rumple's castle which the hidden room was revealed to be located, Eleazar is tied up in a chain against the wall. He opened his eyes and saw that he's in a castle. Wish Rumple is working on mixing the ingredients while Regina is pacing back and forth. "Calm down, dearie. You are just exhausting yourself", he said to her. She stopped walking and then looked at him. "How is this going to work exactly? How is this going to give me what I want?" she asked impatiently. "This spell will rip the heroes what they value most, light. All their hard works to defeat darkness will turn into dust and we, the ones who always loses, will finally win and have our happy ending", he answered and then laughed excitedly.


	8. Chapter 8

As the heroes are preparing, Alice and Robin came in with some news. "Did you track them?" Snow asked and they both nodded. "Yes, it appears like they've been doing some groceries", Alice answered. That confused them all. "We took a list of the things they bought", Robin added and gave the list to her mother. Zelena looked at it and her eyes widened. "Rumple, you need to see this", she said and he went to her side to take a look at the list. Everyone is holding their breath for a potential problem. "What is it?" David asked. Rumple sighed. "These are all ingredients for a certain spell, a dark spell", he answered. "How dark is it exactly?" Hook asked. He looked at him. "Very…it's a long forgotten and forbidden spell that said to be casted in the Pit eons ago. It's said to be the spell that turned that entire realm dark", he answered. Another problem just dawned at them. "So is that the reason why he needed Mom? To cast a spell to turn this realm dark?" Henry asked. "Definitely, Regina's magic is abundant. She now has both light and dark once again. There's no telling how many realms she can damage if she ever casted this spell", Zelena answered. "Hold on, there's one ingredient missing here, the heart of the person she loved most", Rumple said.

They all looked at Henry because he is the obvious choice for it but then they realized something. "She doesn't remember Henry. Therefore, right now he is not the person she loved most", Ella muttered. They thought about it for a second. "Then who is it?" Alice asked everyone. Wish Henry stepped forward. "Who is the person she spent some time with after she lost her memory aside from the other Dark One?" he asked. That got them thinking and then they all realized the answer. "Eleazar…we gotta go save them both", Snow answered.

The heroes hurried to Wish Rumple's castle even though they're not sure that Regina and Eleazar are there. Meanwhile, Wish Rumple is still working on the potion for the spell. Regina saw Eleazar awake. "What is this, Coraline?" he asked her. She walked over to him. "Is this some magic to bring back your memory?" he asked again but she's not answering. She doesn't know what to say to him. "It's time, dearie", Wish Rumple suddenly said. She already knows what that means. He knows it too. He got him on his feet. "I did the work now you do this one", he said to her. "Is this going to make you happy?" Eleazar asked her. He scoffed. "Just please tell me that it will so I would die knowing that my death is worth it", he insisted. That brought tears to Regina's eyes. She smiled. "Well…I'm glad to help you until the very end. I don't regret meeting you in the woods, Coraline", he said. "It's Regina", she said. Eleazar smiled back. "You're always going to be Coraline to me", he said. The smile vanished from Regina's face. She ripped his heart out and then snapped his neck which instantly killed him. "I'm sorry", she muttered.

The heroes arrived and saw Eleazar's dead body on the side while Regina and Wish Rumple are on the verge of completing the spell. "Mom, no!" Henry yelled. That distracted them both. They didn't expect that they will figure out that they're still in the castle. "You're too late, dearie. It's already done. All we need now is the heart and her blood", Wish Rumple said. Rumple frowned as he recalls something in the past, something that Regina has told him that he forgotten for years. "This is it. It's happening now", he muttered. Zelena looked at him. "What are you talking about? Do you know something?" she asked. He looked back at her. "Do you remember the time before we got cursed to live in Hyperion Heights? When Regina became the Dark One for a short period time?" he asked her back and she nodded.

"After that, I asked her what she saw in the future because all Dark One has a gift of foresight. She told me that she saw chaos, darkness and that she saw her blood dripping from her hands and the future is a curse", he explained.

"Wait, that's what happened when Regina casted Gothel's curse she used her blood to do it", Zelena said.

"At first I thought it was that curse but I was wrong. It didn't bring any chaos. Some of us got a better cursed life than the real one. What she saw back then terrified her. I saw it in her eyes. This is it. This is the future that she saw", he said.

"So what is this curse going to do with us? Is it going to take us to another land?" Snow asked him.

"I have no idea. One thing's for sure, it's not going to be pretty for all of us", he answered.

Henry looked back to his mother who is staring at Eleazar's heart in her hand. She can see the remorse and grief in her eyes for killing her friend. She only knew him for a short time but she does care for him and him for her. He's the brother she never had. "The heart", Wish Rumple said and Regina placed it on top of the potion and then crushed it into ashes. The potion's smoke grew bigger. "One final ingredient", Wish Rumple muttered. She looked back at Eleazar's brother. His voice is ringing in her ears. _Is this going to make you happy?_ She never got a chance to answer that and the reason is quite simple: she doesn't know what she's doing. She's just following whatever Wish Rumple is telling her to do. She is too blinded with rage that she ignored everything around her including what she thinks is right.

Regina opened her palm and stared at it thinking if she'll go through it. She is having doubts. "Mom", Henry called and she looked at him. Tears are now falling from his eyes which confused her even more. "Don't do this. You never wanted to hurt your family and casting this curse will hurt everyone including the people you love", he pleaded one more time. She can feel the pain in his every word. "It's too late. There's no turning back now", she muttered. Zelena stepped forward. "No, it's not too late. You showed me that it's not too late to turn my back on darkness. Don't leave me hanging here, sis. Don't go back there", she said. Wish Rumple went behind her. "Don't listen to them, Regina. They are just trying to confuse you because they don't want us to win. Finish the spell", he whispered. "Mom…" Henry muttered. She looked away and then put her hand above the potion and magically cut her palm. "No!" Snow yelled and the spell is completed. A giant black smoke was formed and it quickly devoured everything but just before it clouded them, Regina saw Henry. He smiled at her in the same way he always does. "I remember, Mom. I will never forget that you love me. I love you too. Don't forget that as well", he said and the cloud finally got them.


	9. Chapter 9

Henry woke up along with his family in the Evil Queen's castle. They are all alone. It's already night time or it's just really dark. They checked on each other if they're okay. Regina and Wish Rumple are nowhere to be found. "What happened did the curse work?" David asked. Hook went to the balcony to look. "Oh, it definitely worked", he answered and they all went there to see what he's seeing. The forest is on fire. They can hear screaming everywhere. They decided to go to the villages to check what's going on. Like Regina's prediction way back, it's total chaos. The bandits and other criminals are on the loose wreaking havoc. The dark witches and trolls are walking freely like it's normal and the good residents are now hiding from them. "What is going on?" Henry asked. No one answered him at first. "This is the curse. It reversed everything. Now darkness is on top and light below. This is where villains can finally win. All heroes are now the outcasts of this world", Rumple answered.

They hid when they saw the black guards roaming around wearing the badge of the kingdom. They now know where Regina and Wish Rumple is. The entire balance has shifted. Rules have been altered. Snow and David are no longer royalties in that land. Some of the dark witches spotted them. "Go now", Zelena whispered. They got confused on whether she got a plan or not. She suddenly went to them. "Hello ladies, looking rather gross", she greeted. "…and who are you? One of those sickly heroes?" one of the witches asked her. She scoffed. "Do I look like a bloody hero?" she asked them back. Then she killed one of them with her magic. "I am the Wicked Witch. Now, anyone else wants to challenge my wickedness?" she asked and they all backed out.

Meanwhile, Regina opened her eyes and found herself in a lavish bedroom. She got out of bed and looked around. She picked a beautiful dress from her big closet and put on a light blue dress. She looked at herself in the mirror and she smiled. She likes the color on her. Then she got out and found tons of black guards in the hall. They all bowed at her. "Your Majesty", they greeted. Things are a bit foggy for her. She went to the balcony and saw that the whole realm has turned into hell. "You're up early", Wish Rumple greeted behind her. She turned around and saw him all dressed up. "What do you mean early? It's night time", she asked him back. "Oh no…it's only ten in the morning. That's just how it is in the sky, dearie", he answered as he checks his watch. That confused Regina a lot. "I can see you're a bit foggy from your nap but don't worry it will all soon come back to you. Meanwhile I will leave you for now in your kingdom to attend on a few matters", he said and then disappeared.

Regina went back to her room and locked the door. She forced herself to remember the last thing that happened before she woke up in her bedroom. The flashes of potion and blood keep appearing in her head as well as a black smoke. Then an image of Henry came to her. She remembered the last thing he said to her before the curse got them. Tears fell from her eyes. She turned to the mirror and used her magic on it. It showed her Henry and the others evading the dangers outside. She stared at Henry and touched the mirror with her fingers. "Are you really my son?" she muttered. A few hours passed, Wish Rumple returned in the castle with tons of gifts for Regina. "What is all this?" she asked. "They're gifts, of course. None of these would've happened without your help so I am simply pampering you. I always know you like jewelries", he answered.

She does but something about it all felt wrong to her for some reason. "What exactly happened after we casted the curse? I remember casting it but everything is so confusing to me. What happened to the forest?" she asked him. He smiled and sits her down. "To put it simple and short, the curse shifted the entire balance of the universe. Darkness now rules the world and not light. The heroes are now the ones on the run and not the villains. This is our world now", he explained. That news didn't seem to make her smile. She looked down. "What's the matter?" he asked her. "I don't know", she muttered. She sighed and then looked back at him. "You said once I get my revenge I will feel the happiness I am looking for but I don't feel anything. I don't even feel a strand of happiness", she answered. That surprised him and then he nodded. "I see…it's the curse. It left a void inside you just like before", he muttered. A thought occurred in her. "Is this making you happy?" she asked him. That question caught him off guard. He, himself, didn't think about that part. He's obsessed with his own vengeance and making all those who wronged him suffer. "Somehow but it's not important. What's important is that our enemies are now suffering and we are winning. You should be proud", he answered and then left her with her new jewels.

Meanwhile, the heroes are trying their best to escape the guards that are now chasing them. They reached the other side of the forest and hid behind some trees. "I don't think we can lose them", Ella said while holding Lucy. "We can definitely try. We are not going down without a fight", David said. The guards are now near them. They will get caught any moment from now. Snow and David looked at each other. She readied her bow and arrow and he readied his sword. Then they both came out of hiding and fight the guards. Zelena followed and then Hook and Henry. They all joined the fight. Rumple remained with the others as the second line of defense. The guards kept coming and they're being outnumbered despite having a magic user on their side. Hook got knocked down. "Papa!" Alice called but Rumple stopped her from running to him.

She doesn't have any magic anymore. The power of the Author stripped her of her Guardianship. Robin helped them through shooting her arrows and like her father, she never misses. Henry helped Hook get back on his feet. They continue fighting until they're surrounded with enemies. Rumple is getting ready to help but Lucy stopped him. "Don't use dark magic", she said knowing what he'll do. She doesn't want him to risk his chance to be with Belle despite the Guardian losing her powers. Now the heroes are surrounded. They don't stand a chance anymore. Just when they thought all is lost, a blinding light burst in front of them and the guards got thrown away far from them. Once they regained their sight, they saw Regina standing in front of them. "You saved us", Snow muttered. Henry smiled at her. "Mom, you came back", he said. "There's an abandoned castle not far from here. You'll be safe there. Stay away from this land", she said and then turned around. "Wait! Mom, aren't you coming with us?" Henry asked. She turned back. "Keep your family safe", she simply said.


	10. Chapter 10

They did what Regina said and went to the abandoned castle. It was only then they realized that it's Maleficent's castle, the Forbidden Fortress, or at least what's left of it. There is no one residing there so they're safe. The whole place is surrounded by mirrors and fireplace. Hook started a fire to keep themselves warm. Henry stared at it. "Are you okay?" Ella asked him and he nodded. "She came back to save us", he said with a smile. "Yeah, but she still doesn't remember who we are to her", she said. Henry looked at her. "I know but there's a part of her that wants to believe which means we can wake her up from all of these", he said. Snow overheard their conversation. "Henry is right, Ella. The fact that she saved us from her guards means that she still cares even though she couldn't remember us as her family. We can still save her", she said. Rumple nodded. "…and once we save her, we can save everyone else. She's the one who can break this curse we're in", he added.

Then they suddenly noticed Zelena pacing back and forth in the living room like she's thinking of something major. Robin saw them looking at her mother. "She's been like since we got here", she said to them. Snow got up. "Zelena, are you okay?" she asked her. She didn't stop pacing. "It's different", she muttered. Snow frowned. "What is different?" she asked again. Zelena looked at her. "Regina's magic, it's different", she answered then continued pacing. Rumple thought about it as well. "I don't understand. What do you mean by that?" David asked. Zelena stopped. "It was light magic and it's something I have never seen before. I saw Emma's light magic. I saw Regina's when she defeated me back then. I saw Alice's but that earlier was different. It is incredibly pure and powerful that I felt it before it even hits", she answered. Rumple walked over to them. "I felt that too but I wasn't able to explain what it is", he muttered.

"Hold on. She already casted the curse and crushed two hearts. Why she still has light magic? When she first turned herself dark, she only has dark magic", Hook asked. Alice suddenly smiled.

"…because it wasn't Regina who killed Ruby and Eleazar", she muttered and everyone looked at her. "Don't you get it? It was Coraline who casted the curse. Regina is asleep within her", she explained.

"Coraline is Regina. She just lost her memory. In fact, she only remembered the darkest moments of her life", David said.

"No, she doesn't remember anything. It was all shown to her and she accepted it. She was angry at Snow because she saw that she's the reason why her mother and Daniel died but she doesn't remember them. She's still Coraline", Alice insisted.

"I think she's right. You can't remember one part of your past and forget the rest. Coraline has the dark magic because of casting the curse. The fact that we saw her use light magic earlier means Regina is waking up in her which allowing her to use light magic", Rumple explained.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go save my mother", Henry said.

The queen's castle is shining with tons of chandeliers and colorful fabrics on its windows and walls. Despite the cheerful ambiance of her palace, Regina is not feeling festive. The world around her is not the world she's hoping to live in. She confined herself inside her bedroom and comforted herself with the memory she had with Eleazar in his little house in the village which she played over and over again through her mirror. "I am really sorry. I let you down", she muttered. Then she turned her back on the mirror to go to her bed when suddenly the memory being played in the mirror changed. "You're life is proof that no one's path is set", a man's voice said. She quickly turned around and looked at the mirror. She saw herself talking to a man in a tavern in front of a fireplace. "It's not fair, Robin. Our story was so short", she said. "Doesn't make it any less epic", he replied. Regina went closer to the mirror wondering about him. Then he saw him placed something in her palm and then the memory disappeared. All of a sudden, she felt something in her left hand. She looked at it and saw that she's holding a red feather. "Robin", she muttered.

The heroes now rallied in Regina's castle to rescue her. They fought her guards and prevailed. They continued raiding the palace in search for the queen. Their attack alerted the entire kingdom. Hook and Robin told Henry to go in and do not wait for them and he did. He didn't know the castle very well because he's never been there before. In the other version of the Enchanted Forest, he lives in Tiana's castle. Then Zelena and Rumple came with him. "You looked like you're lost", she said to her nephew. They both smiled at each other. "Which way?" he asked them. "Well, this is technically your grandparents' castle. The guards must have taken her to the safe room to protect her when there's an attack", Rumple answered. "Then to the safe room it is", Henry said.

They are not wrong. They found Regina sitting inside the safe room by herself. She is surprised to see them there. "What are you doing here?" she asked them. Henry smiled at her. "We came here to get you out", Henry answered. They heard someone laughed. It's Wish Rumple. "How very touching but as you can see, she doesn't want to come with any of you", he said. He went beside Regina. "Take no more step or you will be killed", he warned. They all readied themselves to fight. Rumple is attempting to face his other version so the others can take Regina but Henry dropped his sword on purpose. "Henry", Snow muttered. He took a step forward. "What are you doing?" Regina asked him. Henry smiled at her. "Showing you that I am not leaving without my mother", he answered simply. Regina frowned. Wish Rumple laughed. "Foolish boy", he said and then choked him. The others screamed and tried to stop it but Zelena stopped them instead. "Wait. Just watch", she said. They all looked at Regina as she tries to comprehend what's going on around her. "I am not giving up on you, Mom. I love you", Henry managed to say while struggling to breathe. Regina closed her eyes as if she's trying to remember something. Then as she opens her eyes, she looked at Wish Rumple and then waved her hand and he flew against the wall freeing Henry. "What are you doing?" Wish Rumple asked her. "You're hurting my son. Nobody hurts my son", she answered.


	11. Chapter 11

Hope and joy filled our heroes as they succeed in bring back Regina's memories. She stood in front of them facing Wish Rumple who is now alone. "I gave you what you wanted. I gave you your revenge and this is how you're going to repay me?" he exclaimed. Regina stepped forward. "You didn't give me anything. You saw me vulnerable and you took advantage of it like you always do. You made me kill Ruby and Eleazar. You made me cast a curse but you're not going to make me watch you kill my family", she said. The others stepped back as they're sensing a fight is about to start. David hold on to Henry. Wish Rumple took his dagger and attacked first with black light coming from it. Regina attacked too but with white light coming out from her hands. Their powers clashed with each other and they battled on who is more powerful.

Although the room has no windows, the wind blew hard inside the safe room. Slowly, Regina's eyes grew purple as she uses more magic. Her light magic grew bigger and bigger that Wish Rumple finds it hard to deflect. Soon, her magic became too much for him that he took its hit and got turned into ashes. They have won. Wish Rumple is no more but they are still stuck in the curse she casted. Rumple and Zelena looked for a spell that can break it while the others made sure the castle is safe for them to stay in. Regina is standing by the balcony playing with the red feather she got from Robin, magically. "It's not your fault, you know", Snow said behind her. She turned and saw her smiling at her. "I've told that to myself probably like a hundred times now but it's still not making me feel any better", she said. Snow looked at the feather in her hands. "That wasn't you or maybe it's you but you're not aware of the entire truth. That woman we saw, Coraline? She only has the memory of her dark past. The Regina we know has already survived all those things and made a beautiful and meaningful life out of it", Snow said. Regina finally smiled. "You really think my life is beautiful and meaningful?" she asked. Snow nodded. "Your life is proof that no one's path is set, that you can still change and choose to be good", she answered. Regina frowned. She heard that line before but she didn't tell her about it.

They all gathered in the meeting room to discuss their plan to break the curse. They all give their suggestions but none of them is worth giving shot. "How about true love's kiss?" Lucy suggested. That usually breaks a curse. "We tried that but it didn't work", Henry said while looking at Regina who is playing with a scroll in her hand. They continued to formulate ideas until Regina intervened. "I can break it", she said and everyone went silent. "I can break it but I have something to suggest. Even if I break the curse, some people will still be separated by realms and timelines. We need to get past that and just be in one place where we can all be together, no more separation", she added. Zelena frowned. "How are you going to do that?" she asked. Regina smiled. "A dark curse", she simply answered while showing them the scroll. Henry rolled his eyes. "I casted the first curse by crushing the heart of my father and it separated everyone because it was casted out of darkness and vengeance and hatred. What if this time instead of crushing the heart of the thing I love most, we all give a piece of our love on it so instead of separating everyone, we can all be together…all the realms in one place", Regina explained and they all smiled.

Regina went to the balcony and gathered all her magic as she channeled it through her hands and shot it upwards the sky. Her eyes turned purple due to using too much magic. It slowly breaks the curse turning the night into day and waking up the people along with it. Once it's finished, the ingredients for the dark curse has been prepared by Rumple and Zelena. All it needs is Regina's magic to work. They all dropped a small amount of their bloods in it as a symbol of their love. Then Regina worked her magic casting the dark curse one last time not to separate everyone from one another, but to bring them all closer to one another. They watched the purple smoke rise up and devoured the entire realm and the other realms as well.

MONTHS LATER – all the realms has been reunited along with Storybrooke. The people are living in harmony and Regina has been crowned the Queen of the United Realms or as they called her The Good Queen. All is well. Rumple went to visit Regina in her office in Storybrooke. Despite having a kingdom, she still preferred to stay there. "What's next now, Your Majesty?" he asked. Regina smiled at him. "Well, everyone got their happy ending except for you and I know what you have in mind for that", she answered. Rumple frowned. "…but the Guardian's power is gone", he muttered. She nodded. "It is but mine is not", she said. That confused him. "Give me your dagger", she said. Reluctantly, he gave his dagger to his student. Most of the time, he wouldn't trust anyone with it but he does trust her. They trust each other now more than ever. Regina stared at his name on it as she remembered the time when her name was on it. "Are you ready? It's not going to be as good as how the Guardian will do it but it's close enough", she asked and he nodded anticipating what she has in store for him.

She held the dagger with her left hand and she placed her right hand above working her light magic on it. Slowly, he saw his name slowly disappearing from it and the dagger is turning white. Soon enough, his name is finally gone from it and the dagger has been cleared by any of its dark details. "What happened? I felt different", he asked her. Regina gently sits herself on the sofa. She's exhausted from using too much of her light magic on the dagger. "There's no more Dark One. I obliterated it with light magic", she answered softly still weak from the spell. "Then why am I still here?" he asked. Regina smiled. "…because you're not just the Dark One. You're also Rumplestiltskin. I destroyed the darkness and not you. Oh, and you still have magic", she said answered.

Rumple checked and white light came out of his hand. "How is this possible?" he asked. "You're meant to be the Savior before your mother cut off your fate to protect you. You just got your fate back after working hard to stay good. Congratulations", she answered and then gave him back the dagger. He is so confused. "But…how am I supposed to get to Belle? I should be dead by now", he said while panicking. Regina rolled her eyes. "Oh for heaven's sake, would you please stop complaining and just be grateful. You are not immortal anymore so you can die at any moment. If you want to kill yourself be my guest but if I were you, I would spend each day of my life living it so I can go tell Belle that I made the most out of it…and about that dagger. You can keep it as a kitchen utensil but as for magical purposes, it's useless", she said. She sat down to her chair and checked some papers on her table. "I'm sorry. You're right. I should be grateful and I am. Thank you", he said. Regina dropped the paper and looked at him. "You're welcome. Try to stick around a little longer. Henry would love to spend more time with his grandfather", she said.

Rumple was about to leave Regina's office when he remembered something. He stopped walking. He recalled the time Regina was using her light magic during the curse and just earlier. He turned around to Regina who is now writing on some documents. "I have been meaning to ask you something", he said. Regina looked at him and put down the pen. "What is it?" she asked. He walked back to her. "Your light magic…I watched you use it a couple of times. At first, we don't know how to explain it because it was different from Emma's or Alice's but then I figured it out. It wasn't entirely light magic, was it?" he asked. Regina's face turned serious. "I am right, am I not?" he added. "Did you tell them about it?" she asked him back and he shook his head. "I am fine, Rumple. I promise. It is just like before when I discovered I have light magic. Don't worry", she said. That convinced him and he left. Once he's gone, she went in the middle of the room and opened her palm. White light came out of it and then followed by black light. They circled each other on her palm. She then waved her hand and the door gets locked. She then went in front of the mirror and looked at herself. Her eyes turned purple. "I hope I'll be fine", she muttered.

THE END

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING! HOPE YOU LIKE IT!


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